Thursday, February 18
Clemson, S.C.
7:00 PM
North Carolina
11-8,6-8ACC
77
at
64
Clemson
10-10,5-10ACC
1
2
3
4
F
North Carolina
17
19
26
15
77
Clemson
16
8
17
23
64
Stephanie Watts led UNC with a season-high 26 points in Thursday's win at Clemson.
Women's Basketball Tops Tigers For Second-Straight Road Win
February 18, 2021 | Women's Basketball
CLEMSON, S.C – Graduate guard Stephanie Watts scored a season-high 26 points and freshman guard Deja Kelly added 19 to lead the North Carolina women's basketball team to a 77-64 win at Clemson Thursday night. The victory at Littlejohn Coliseum was UNC's third in a row and boosted the Tar Heels' record to 11-8 overall, 6-8 in ACC play.
"It's good to get a win on the road," UNC coach Courtney Banghart said. "This group is growing up and locking in defensively, which is leading to good offense. Just a big win on the road, two in a row."
Next up for the Tar Heels is another road game, but with a much shorter trip. They play No. 4 NC State in Raleigh on Sunday at noon, in a rematch of the win that kicked off Carolina's current winning streak, 76-69 in Chapel Hill on Feb. 7.
Thursday's win over the Tigers was UNC's second road victory in a row after the Tar Heels fell in their first five away from home. They won 81-72 at Pitt Sunday and headed for Clemson looking to put a string of three W's together for the first time in ACC play.
The pursuit of that goal started slowly, with UNC at one point missing eight of nine shots in a first quarter that saw the Tar Heels shoot 35.3 percent from the field – 0-for-3 from three-point range – and lead 17-16 a quarter in.
The Tar Heels made their move in the second quarter, opening the period with a 9-0 run and ultimately shooting 52.9 percent and outscoring the hosts 19-8 to take a 36-24 lead into halftime.
Carolina made four of its first five shots out of halftime, including a three by Kelly – Watts had the assist after a block and steal on the other end – that stretched the visitors' lead to 19 at the 7:56 mark. UNC shot 50 percent during the third period, with five assists and six steals while forcing nine Tiger turnovers.
UNC's biggest lead of the game was 23 points, and the Tar Heels held that with eight minutes to play in the game before a late Clemson run got the margin as low as 11 with a minute to play.
• Kelly's 19 points marked her highest total in 2021 and her second highest ACC outing, following 22 vs. Syracuse on Dec. 17, 2020.
• Watts' total was a season high and matched the season high by a Tar Heel this year. (Fellow grad guard Petra Holešínská scored 26 points at Louisville.)
• UNC's 17 steals marked a season high by a wide margin – the next closest was 11 and the previous high against an ACC team was 10 on two occasions.
"It's good to get a win on the road," UNC coach Courtney Banghart said. "This group is growing up and locking in defensively, which is leading to good offense. Just a big win on the road, two in a row."
Next up for the Tar Heels is another road game, but with a much shorter trip. They play No. 4 NC State in Raleigh on Sunday at noon, in a rematch of the win that kicked off Carolina's current winning streak, 76-69 in Chapel Hill on Feb. 7.
Thursday's win over the Tigers was UNC's second road victory in a row after the Tar Heels fell in their first five away from home. They won 81-72 at Pitt Sunday and headed for Clemson looking to put a string of three W's together for the first time in ACC play.
The pursuit of that goal started slowly, with UNC at one point missing eight of nine shots in a first quarter that saw the Tar Heels shoot 35.3 percent from the field – 0-for-3 from three-point range – and lead 17-16 a quarter in.
The Tar Heels made their move in the second quarter, opening the period with a 9-0 run and ultimately shooting 52.9 percent and outscoring the hosts 19-8 to take a 36-24 lead into halftime.
Carolina made four of its first five shots out of halftime, including a three by Kelly – Watts had the assist after a block and steal on the other end – that stretched the visitors' lead to 19 at the 7:56 mark. UNC shot 50 percent during the third period, with five assists and six steals while forcing nine Tiger turnovers.
UNC's biggest lead of the game was 23 points, and the Tar Heels held that with eight minutes to play in the game before a late Clemson run got the margin as low as 11 with a minute to play.
• Kelly's 19 points marked her highest total in 2021 and her second highest ACC outing, following 22 vs. Syracuse on Dec. 17, 2020.
• Watts' total was a season high and matched the season high by a Tar Heel this year. (Fellow grad guard Petra Holešínská scored 26 points at Louisville.)
• UNC's 17 steals marked a season high by a wide margin – the next closest was 11 and the previous high against an ACC team was 10 on two occasions.
Team Stats
UNC
Clem
FG%
.456
.448
3FG%
.250
.316
FT%
.833
.500
RB
37
35
TO
16
24
STL
17
6
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
26
FGM
12
3FGM
1
FTM
1
Pts
19
FGM
5
3FGM
2
FTM
7
Pts
8
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Pts
6
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballG
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